Rotary machine



G. E. CAM PEELL ROTARY MACHINE Filed May Y6, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l mw m@ 17, 1939. G. E` CAMPBELL ROTARY MACHINE Filed May 6, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Ho/:MANS

oct 17, 1939. G, E CAMPBELL 2,176,788

ROTARY MACHINE Filed May e, 1936 4 sheets-sheet s Oct. 17, 1939. G. E. CAMPBELL ROTARY MACHNE Filed May 6, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l V l I l I I l Patented Oct. 17, 1939 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY MACHINE Application May 6, 1936, Serial No. 78,276

Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in rotary machines of the type employed in the drilling of oil Wells, and more particularly to a rotary machine which is fully enclosed and is so con- 5 structed as to withstand the severe shocks imposed upon present day Well drilling apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous bath of oil or other lubricant for all bearings and moving parts, insuring a quiet runlO ning machine with a minimum of friction. With the elimination of friction, Very little wear will occur, and the rotary will operate continuously for a long period of time with a minimum of care.

Another object of the invention is to provide separate oiling compartments, each of which is entirely separate from the others, so that different lubricating compounds may be used for the pinion shaft bearings, the gears, and the thrust roller bearing, and to improve the construction of the rotary machine to provide these separate chambers.

One of the oil openings through which lubricant is supplied to the gears, is so arranged as to form a peephole, to permit ready inspection of the meshing of the gears, because the life of the gears and the noise that they make are very largely determined by the meshing of the pinion with the ring gear. Provision is also made for the lubrication of the skirt of the table in connection with the 'lubrication of the thrust roller bearings.

Still another object of this invention is to improve the construction of the rotary machine, to simplify its construction, and to enable it to operate successfully with a minimum of care and to withstand the severe shocks imposed upon the rotary in well drilling operation.

Among the improved features of this rotary machine is a pinion shaft assembly which provides for adjustment of the pinion relative to the ring gear in order to obtain proper meshing thereof for proper running of the machine and especially for the elimination of noise. Provision is made in this assembly for the mounting of the pinion shaft so as to maintain proper alignment of the parts.

Another improved feature of this rotary is the ring gear locking device which makes provision for direct locking of the ring gear to the base, which simplifies the pinion shaft assembly and removes from the pinion bearings all shocks incident to locking. A locking pin is slidably mounted in the base in position to be raised into meshing engagement with the teeth of the ring gear for locking the ring gear and table against rotation.

Other improved features of the invention will be (Cl. Z55-23) set forth more particularly in the following description and claims. A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view 5 partly in elevation, through the rotary machine, taken substantially on the line l-I in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the machine with a portion of the table construction broken away to show the bearings and base structure; l0

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the rotary machine;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View of the ring gear locking device substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of said locking device, l5 partly in section;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the pinion shaft assembly bearing box detached;

Fig. 7 is a face view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view therethrough; 20 and Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the holddown ring structure partly broken away.

As indicated in the accompanying drawings, the base of the rotary machine is designated gener- 525 ally by the numeral l, and is of one piece construction to mount and support the parts of the rotary machine. The base i is supported upon the usual longitudinally extending skids 2, which extend throughout the entire length of the machine, said 30 skids being formed integral with the base, and being L-shaped in cross section, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The base I has an upstanding ange 3 of annular shape and carrying an annular bearing race- 35 way 4. The raceway 4 is formed by means of an annular bottom wall 5 from which inner and outer bearing retaining flanges 6 and 'l extend upwardly, being spaced apart horizontally to define the bearing raceway 4. Seated in the raceway 4 40 is a bearing ring 8 having tapered roller bearings 9, mounted and operating therein. A cooperating roller bearing race ring Il] rides upon the roller bearings 9, and has a depending flange Il vertically telescoping the upper edge of the 45 outer ange 1.

The race ring l0 supports the rotary table l2 which is mounted thereon, having a groove I3 therein receiving the race ring lll, and a depending fiange i4 is formed on the rotary table and 50 extends in vertical alignment with the flange 1 but spaced slightly therefrom for free operation.

The base I is provided with an annular wall l5 which extends outwardly and upwardly from the periphery of the flange 3, forming a gear lubri- 55 cant chamber I6. The annular chamber I6 has one side thereof in communication with a sump I1 depressed in the base I, so as toy drain the lubricant from the annular gear chamber back into the sump.

The upper edge of the wall I5 overlaps a depending ange I8 formed on the periphery of the table I2, preventing the introduction of foreign matter, such as mud, water, and the like, into the rotary machine or the gear lubricant chamber I3. Spaced radially from the table I2 is a. guard ring IS carried by a plurality of upstanding lugs 2D secured by bolts or screws 2| to the periphery of the wall I5. This guard ring I9 protects the table from injury and protects the operator from the rotation of the table.

The table I2 carries the usual ring gear 22 which operates in the gear chamber I6 and meshes with a pinion 23 mounted on the inner end of the pinion shaft 24. The pinion 23 dips into the oil sump I1, so as to receive a bath of oil or lubricant and to transfer said lubricant to the ring gear 22, from which any lubricant dripping off will be drained back into the sump through the annular chamber I6. The outer end of the pinion shaft 24 carries the usual sprocket wheel 25 to receive power for the operation of the machine.

The pinion. shaft 24 is mounted in a pair of axially spaced bearings designated generally by the numerals 2B and 21, which bearings are mounted in a bearing sleeve 28. The bearing assembly 26 is locked relative to the pinion shaft 24 by means` of a lock nut 29, which is threaded on the pinion shaft and abuts the inner race 25 of the bearing assembly. The bearing sleeve 28 is adapted to enclose a lubricant chamber for the pinion shaft assembly, for which purpose grease seals 30 and 3|, close the opposite ends of the bearing sleeves. Lubricant is supplied to this chamber within the bearing sleeve through the opening which receives the screw plug 32, and upon removal of the latter.

One end of the bearing sleeve 28 is provided with a pair of laterally extending feet 313 which feet 33 are mounted on guides 34 in the base I to which they are secured by screws or bolts 35 which extend through slots 36 in the feet and into the base for holding the bearing sleeve securely in place. The slots 36 are provided in order to' permit longitudinal adjustment of the bearing sleeve relative to the base upon loosening the bolts or screws 35, as will be described hereinafter. Shims 31 may be provided, as desired for raising or lowering the complete pinion shaft assembly relative to the base.

The inner end of the bearing sleeve 23 is slidably received in a bearing box 38 for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto. The bearing sleeve is threaded as at 39 and is tted with a split nut 40 on the threaded portion 35. A flange 4I on the split nut 40 engages in a groove 42 in the bearing box 38, and is movable axially therein.

The annular wall I5 has a radial opening 43 in a side thereof receiving the pinion shaft assembly, and the bearing box 38 abuts against the face of the wall I5 surrounding the opening 43. The bearing box is secured to the wall i5 by screws or bolts 44 which extend through slots 45 in a flange 45, on the bearing box 38 to permit vertical adjustment of the bearing box and obtain proper alignment of the parts. The bearing box 38 is also provided with laterally extending feet 41, mounted in guide ways 48 in the base, being adjusted vertically by the shirns 31. Bolts or nuts 49 secure the feet 41 to the base. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, lugs 5l? are formed on the inner end of the bearing box 33, and project into the opening 43 approximately in contact with the periphery thereof for insuring proper alignment of the bearing box.

The bearing box 38 is provided with a cap 5I complementary therewith and forming the top portion of the bearing box as shown in Fig. 8. The bearing box cap 5l is provided with an opening 52 therein extending laterally therethrough and registering with the top portion of the opening 43, serving the two fold purpose of introducing lubricant such as heavy gear compound to the ring gear chamber i6 and sump I1 to provide lubrication for the gears, and also for permitting inspection of the gears, particularly the meshing of the pinion 23 with the ring gear 22, whereby proper adjustments can be made to obtain proper meshing of these gears. The life of the gears and the noise that they make in operation is largely determined by their proper meshing. A cover 53 closes this opening 52 when not in use.

The pinion shaft assembly is adjusted bodily by the nut 43. Rotation of this nut 4I] pushes the bearing sleeve 23 with its assembly, including the pinion 23 and pinion shaft24, axially to vary the meshing of the pinionrelative to the ring gear or to move the pinion into or out of vrnesh therewith. IThis nut 43 may be adjusted during i rotation of the ring gear and pinion, so that the meshing of these gears can be quickly and properly adjusted for proper running and especially for the elimination of noise.

The table l2 carries the usual master bushing designated generally by the numeral 54, the construction of which need not be described in detail.

Provision is made for locking the ring gear and table against rotation, for which purpose a plunger 55 is slidably mounted in a Vertical guide 55 in the base i and is provided with a tooth 51, on its upper end to engage between the teeth of the ring gear 22. This construction is shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. The plunger 55 is provided with a transverse slot 58 therein intermediate its ends and at one end of the slot 55, the plunger is notched out as at 59 to receive a cam 55 which operates in this notch 59. The cam @El is fixed on a cam shaft 6I extending transversely through the slot 58 in the plunger and having one end thereof journaled in the base I, beside the guide 56, while the other end of the `cam shaft el is journaled in a bearing 52 secured to the base I. cam shaft El carries a lever 63 for turning the shaft El and cam 55 in order to reciprocate the plunger 55 vertically into and out of engagement with the teeth of the ring gear 22. The lever 53 swings between the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 5, Fig. 2 representing the position of the lever when the plunger is lowered out of engagement with the ring gear, and Figs. 4 and 5 representing the position of the lever when the plunger is in engagement with the ring gear. This forms an eective lock for the ring gear Vand table which makes it unnecessary to have a locking device `associated with the pinion shaft assembly and thereby simplifies the latter while at the same time removing all shocks incident to locking from the pinion bearings. Y

The table if is provided with a depending skirt 5d which is journaled in the bearing flange 6, as shown in Fig. 1, and the skirt 54 is also journaled in a bushing 65 pressed into a counterbore The free en d of theV i.

armies 65 in the base I, so as to form a journal for the sln'rt portion of the table. The lower edge of the bushing 65 is provided with a flanged portion 66, against the lower face of which the holddown ller ring 61 abuts, and being keyed to the skirt 64 as at 68, so as to rotate therewith. The undersurface of the flange 66 has annular grooves 69 which tend to form an oil seal between the hold-down filler ring 61 and the flange 66. The ring 61 has an upstanding flange 10 surrounding the periphery of the flange 66 and provided with annular grooves 1| in the inner surface of said flange 16, as a further means of confining the oil. The flange 66 is also provided with a deep annular groove 12 therein receiving an upstanding rib 13, formed on the upper surface of the ring 61 which cooperates with the grooves 69 and 1| for confining the cil in the bearing surface. The arrangement shown provides an up-thrust bearing between the ring 61 and the flange 66.

In order to hold the filler ring 61 in place, a hold-down ring 14 is screwed onto a threaded portion 15 at the lower end of the skirt 64. The hold-down ring 14 is screwed up to the desired extent in order to maintain a proper working clearance between the ring 61 and the flange 66, and then it is locked against further adjustment by means of a spring-pressed pin 16 carried by the hold-down ring 16 in position to enter one of a plurality of openings 11 spaced at intervals around the undersurface of the filler ring 61.

Interposed between the hold-down ring 14 and filler ring 61 is a spring retaining ring 18, which is relatively thin and is secured to the underside of the filler ring 61 but is slightly movable "relative thereto. The retaining ring 18 has a plurality of coiled springs 19 carried on the upper surface thereof and extending into openings 86 in the undersurface of the ller ring 61. The purpose of these springs 19 is to press upward on the filler ring 61, keeping it in its uppermost position against the flange 66 of the bushing 65. The spring retaining ring 18 facilitates assembly of the springs and holds kthem in place preparatory to putting on the hold-down ring 14. The tension of the springs is adjusted by screwing up the hold-down ring 14, which is thereafter locked in place by the locking pin 16. This forms an up-thrust bearing between the parts 66 and 61 and also provides a means for properly adjusting the vertical working clearance between the table and base. The hold-down filler ring 61 may be lubricated with heavy grease through an Alemite tting 8|, shown in Fig. 2.

The roller bearings 9 operate in a chamber 82 which is supplied with lubricant through a tting 63 which may also be an Alemite fitting, and it is preferable that a medium grade of Alemite lubricant be supplied to the chamber 82 and that the lubricant be maintained in the chamber at a height above the flange 6, so that it will find its way down along the periphery of the skirt 64 inside of the base and bushing 65, but it is stopped by the grease and seal between the parts 66 and 61.

The rotary machine is operated in the customary manner, power being applied through the usual sprocket chain to the sprocket wheel 25 for rotating the pinion shaft 24, pinion 23, 'and ring gear 22, and thereby turning the table l2 on the roller bearings 9. During such operation, the lever 63 will be in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the plunger 55 lowered out of engagement with the ring gear 22, b-ut when it is desired to lock the table in a stationary position, the plunger is raised as above desired.

I claim:

l. In a rotary machine, the combination of a bearing-box, a bearing sleeve movably connected thereto, a shaft rotatably supported in the bearing sleeve, a pinion thereon, and means surrounding the sleeve for moving the sleeve and the shaft endwise in the bearing-box, said means being swiveled to one and threaded to the other of said movably connected elements.

2. In a rotary machine, the combination of a bearing-box, a cylindrical bearing sleeve slidably mounted therein, a shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve against endwise movement therein,

the central portion at least of said sleeve being exteriorily and circumferentially screw-threaded, and a nut having internal screw-threads constructed and adapted to turn on the threads of the sleeve, said nut having a swivel connection with the bearing-box.

3. In a rotary machine, the combination of a bearing-box, a cylindrical bearing sleeve slidably mounted therein, a shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve against endwise movement therein,

the central portion at least of said sleeve being rf exteriorily and circumferentially screw-threaded, a nut having internal screw-threads constructed and adapted to turn on the threads of the sleeve, said nut having a swivel connection with the bearing-box, a pinion on one end of the shaft and a gear on the opposite end of the shaft.

4. In a rotary machine, the combination of a base, an annular wall, a table rotatably mounted on the base and having a ring gear positioned within said annular wall, one side of the wall having an opening, a two-part bearing-box constructed and adapted to cover said opening, means for adjusting the bearing-box relative to the opening in the annular wall, the bearing-box provided with laterally extending feet mounted in guideways therefor in the base, an exteriorily threaded bearing-sleeve movably connected with the bearing-box, and a split adjusting device rotatably connected to the bearing-box and rotatable on the threads of the bearing-sleeve for moving the latter endwise with respect to the bearing-box.

5. The combination of a cylindrical wall having an opening in one side, a ring gear, a bearing-box made in two parts adjustably secured over the opening, the upper part of the bearing box having an opening which registers with the top portion of the opening in the cylindrical wall for inspection and to receive lubricant, an externally threaded bearing-sleeve extending through the bearing-box, a split nut mounted to turn on the threads of the sleeve and having an annular ange which turns in a groove in the box, the split nut located in close proximity to the opening in the box so that an operator can watch the adjustment of gears adjacent the opening while turning the split nut, and a shaft jcurnalled in the sleeve having a bevel pinion thereon which meshes with a ring gear within the wall.

GEORGE E. CAMPBELL. 

